iRobot Braava Jet 240 vs. 380t vs. 245 — Differences Explained

Chances are that you’re familiar with the Roomba vacuum cleaners, but vacuuming your floors is only half of the equation. To truly get your floors sparkling, you need to bring a mop into the equation.

The braava jet 240, 245, and 380t are excellent smart mops that do a great job of keeping your hard surfaces clean quickly and conveniently, but they are not created equal. In a battle of the iRobot Braava Jet 240 vs. 380t vs. 245, the 380t is the superior model hands down — largely due to the superior technology that makes it behave more intelligently than earlier models.

The Braava line is a great complement to its cousin, the Roomba. It uses a similar interface with different technology designed specifically for mopping, and the 380t is one of the best options on the market for mopping up after your smart vacuum is finished with its job. The 240 is outclassed in terms of runtime and features, but the significantly lower price tag is one perk it has to offer over the premium 380t.

Do you value premium features above all else? Or are you willing to compromise for a much more budget-friendly buy? These are the questions you’ll have to keep in mind as we go into our detailed comparison of the Braava Jet 240 vs. 380t below. Feel free to jump to the section that interests you most using the navigation bar, or read on for a full breakdown of what these smart mops have to offer.

iRobot Braava Jet 240 vs. 245 — What’s the Difference?

Let’s start with the difference between the iRobot Braava 240 vs. 245 — Well, there are none.

It’s actually very confusing for the customer, but the 240 and 245 appear to be the exact same vacuum with no noticeable differences.

The 245 is currently only available at a few different retailers such as Walmart, Jet.com and a few more. The 240, on the other hand, is available pretty much anywhere these sorts of products would be sold.

It’s pure speculation as to why there are two different model numbers for the same vacuum, but we expect that these retailers asked for a unique SKU exclusively for their use. Having a unique “245” product rather than the stock 240 available everywhere else may make it easier for the company to market or offer appealing discounts. This is just a theory, but considering that Walmart only offers the 245 and not the 240 it seems like it might be true.

While this may be good for the companies involved, it really just ends up being more confusing for the customer. We can’t confirm with 100% certainty that there are no differences between the two models as there isn’t really any official documentation that says that, but in terms of features they are functionally identical.

So, for the rest of this article we’re going to be comparing the 240 vs. 380t. Anything we say about the 240 can also be applied to the 245, since they are literally the same vacuum.

iRobot Braava Jet 240 vs. 380t — Things in Common

iAdapt 2.0 – iAdapt 2.0 is the updated version of the iRobot navigation software. This newer technology allows your Braava mop to detect and remember obstacles to avoid them during cleaning. It’s also the main technology that allows you to set virtual walls to block off your Braava from places you don’t want it to be.

Onboard Controls – You can control the 240 and 380t through buttons on the device themselves. They do differ, however, in the design and placement. If you’re familiar with Roomba vacuums, the Braava Jet 240 might be most familiar with the large, simple “CLEAN” button.

Smart Floor Cleaning – Cleaning with your Braava couldn’t be easier. Simply place your robot in the area you want mopped and press “clean.” Your mop will then navigate the area and clean until the area is tidy or it happens to run out of batteries.

Your smart mop is capable of navigating around obstacles, and will even slow down as it approaches furniture, walls, and fixtures in order to avoid collisions and provide a deeper clean in these harder-to-reach areas. The Braava is also smart enough to avoid falling down stairs or off ledges, making it an excellent fixture upstairs as well as down.

Smart Enough to Find the Way Home – While the navigation on these models isn’t quite as advanced as some of the later Roomba models, you can rest assured that either smart mop will be intelligent enough to guide itself back to the base when it’s done with its job.

Automatic Power Off – If your Braava Jet encounters a problem that impedes it’s cleaning, or when it’s done with a cleaning run, it will power down automatically — leaving you with adequate charge for the next run by avoiding unnecessary drains on the battery.

Perfect Shape – One area in which these Braava smart mops excel is in their perfect shape. They are square and compact, which allows them to fit into tight and hard-to-reach places such as under and around toilets, in corners, and below cabinets. It’s constructed in a way that you shouldn’t really have to worry about your mop missing any areas due to its wide reach.

iRobot Braava Jet 240 vs. 380t — Differences

Difference #1: Cleaning Mode – One of the biggest differences of the Braava 380t vs. Braava jet 240 are the cleaning modes.

While the 380t might be the smarter model overall, the 240 actually has more cleaning options than it’s more expensive successor. It’s capable of dry sweeping, damp mopping, or wet mopping mode, which gives you a wide range of options when it comes to keeping your floors tidy.

The 380t, on the other hand, only supports dry sweeping and wet mopping mode — ditching the damp mapping for one reason or another.

On the 380t, there are three buttons: a power button, a button for dry sweeping, and a button for wet mopping. To get the process started, just press the power button and choose the appropriate mode to get your Braava on its way.

The 240 does not have these three buttons, instead only having a power button. This mop detects the type of cleaning automatically by the type of pad inserted — another big difference which we discuss in more detail below.

For wet mopping, both models will employ a triple pass cleaning technique, moving back and forth over the mess in order to ensure that it picks up any stubborn debris. For dry sweeping which is less intensive, they will switch to only doing a single pass. The 240’s damp mopping strikes a middle ground between the two with a two pass setup.

Difference #2: Cleaning Pads – The cleaning pad is where a large portion of your mop’s cleaning actually comes from, and the 240 and 380t differ pretty significantly in the way that they approach this aspect.

The 240 actually uses disposable pads, with a different type of pad for each cleaning type. It will automatically select the right type of mopping or sweeping based on the pad you slide into the bottom of the unit, which allows the model to get away with less buttons.

However, keeping multiples of three different pads in stock can quickly become quite expensive. This is a major downside of the 240, although it is possible to purchase washable pads for relatively cheap they should make this problem a non issue.

The 380t uses a single style of pad that is machine washable and wraps around the cleaning head with a Velcro-like attachment. These pads are high-quality and seem to be microfiber, so they definitely feel a little bit heartier than the 240’s disposable pad.

Long story short, the 380t’s setup is superior when compared to the stock 240 pads. However, you can pretty much make the pads a non-issue by shelling out for some washable ones.

Difference #3: Sweeping & Mopping Coverage – Another significant difference between the 240 and the 380t is the area that they can cover.

The 240 is capable of sweeping up to 200 square feet and mopping slightly less at 150 square feet. This is a decent range, but it absolutely pales in comparison to the 1000 square foot sweeping and 350 square foot mopping range of the 380t.

For larger homes, there’s absolutely no question about it: the 380t is the only Braava mop that can go the distance.

Difference #4: Northstar – Both the 240 and 380t use iAdapt 2.0 navigation in order to avoid obstacles and clean efficiently. However, the 380t takes things one step further with a Northstar Navigation Cube.

This cube is placed down in your home, and your Braava mop will be able to easily determine where it’s located in relation to the cube. By using the combination of iAdapt and Northstar, the 380t is able to pretty easily keep track of its cleaning and make sure it hits every spot of your home.

For small areas, you’re not really going to need the Northstar as the iAdapt navigation should work just fine. For larger homes that are making use of the 380t’s impressive range, however, the Northstar is a lifesaver.

Difference #5: Onboard Tank – One area in which the 240 actually has a slight advantage is in the size of its onboard tank. Both Braava robots are designed with a tank you can fill with a branded or homemade cleaner, or even just water. For a cheap and effective cleaner, try mixing 1 part vinegar and 5 parts water!

You might not notice the difference with the 240’s 0.15L capacity compared to the 380t’d 0.12, but it is disparity worth mentioning.

If you’re going to be doing a lot of wet mopping, the slightly larger size could potentially make a difference as you’ll have to stop and refill a little less often.

Difference #6: Dimensions – When it comes to fitting into small spaces, there’s no denying that the 240 is the superior model. With 6.7 x 7 x 3.3 dimensions and weighing in at 2.7 pounds, it is noticeably smaller and lighter than the 380t. Coming in at 9.6’x 8.5 x 3.1 inches and weighing 4 pounds, the 380t isn’t exactly large, but it’s definitely going to be a little bit harder for it to fit into tight areas when compared to the 240x.

While the 380t does have a significant advance over the 240 in many different areas, the size of your robot mop is worth keeping in mind. If you live in a small home with a ton of hard-to-reach areas that need regular cleaning, you might actually be better off with the cheaper model simply because of its more compact design.

It’s also worth mentioning that the 240 comes in white while the 380t comes in black. It might not be a dealbreaker for most people, but if your mop’s going to be out and about during the day it might as well match your house!

iRobot Braava Jet 240 vs. 380t — Accessories

For many robot mops, maintenance costs can get quite expensive. Whether it’s additional attachments, new batteries, or expensive pads, the convenience of these robot cleaners can sometimes be outpaced by how much it costs to keep them working well.

However, as far as robot mop costs go, the Braava line is pretty good in terms of accessories.

With the 240, you’ll need to replace the pads regularly which can quickly get very expensive if you’re getting regular use out of the mop. We highly recommend buying a washable set of cleaning pads for a one time investment, as those could potentially last the entire life of the unit. The iRobot® Braava jet® Washable Wet Mopping Pad is an absolute must have. You can also buy a bunch at once with the iRobot® Braava jet® Washable, 5 Pack.

iRobot Braava Jet 240 vs. 380t — Our Thoughts

It’s a little bit difficult to give a clear recommendation one way or another because they offer different features at pretty different price points.

Before we try to give a verdict, we want to mention that neither the 240 or 380 are equipped to handle large messes. Even something as simple as a small glass of soda being spilled on the ground might be a little too much for the robot to handle on its own, so you might be better off taking out a wet paper towel or a traditional mop in that case. The field of Robot mops isn’t quite at the point of robot vacuums in that they aren’t really capable of handling big messes that you’d usually break out a mop for.

With that said, they both shine in their intended usage: regular cleaning of an area to remove any residual grime or stickiness and to take a grubby area and make it shine. While it won’t be able to handle emergencies, we still feel it’s worth the buy due to how great it is at day-to-day maintenance.

Deciding between the Braava 380t vs. Braava Jet 240 really comes down to whether you’re looking for a basic model with excellent cleaning capabilities and not much else, or a more premium model with all the bells and whistles.

We still maintain that the Braava 380t is the superior model — largely due to the greater range and more impressive navigation. It’s generally just a better implementation of what the 240 does, and while it still cant tackle huge spills, it does seem to be a little bit better at larger messes than the older model.

With that said, if budget is a concern we can wholeheartedly recommend the Braava Jet 240 as well. Unlike some other tech, this isn’t a case where the more premium model is leaps and bounds ahead. The 380t is better, no doubt, but it’s sort of a toss up as to whether it’s worth the extra expense.

For large houses and premium features, go with the 380t. Otherwise. The Braava Jet 240 is likely a great fit for you.

Our Score:

iRobot Braava Jet 240

iRobot Braava Jet 380t

iRobot Braava Jet 245

4.3

Let us know what you think!

Have you noticed other differences between iRobot Braava Jet 240 vs. 380t vs. 245? Feel free to add them or share your experience with the products in the comments section below. Your input can help other people make the right choice!

The 245 will not connect to the app. I bought the 245 at Walmart, it wouldn’t connect, so I called iRobot. They sent me a new 240 model and it works like a charm. They sent me a shipping label to return the 245. Flawless support from iRobot. Very satisfied.

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